{{The Sierra Leone military has confirmed the arrest of an unspecified number of soldiers over an alleged foiled mutiny.}}<\/p>\n
Since Friday there have been reports that President Ernest Bai Koroma had cancelled a weekend trip to his northern home town of Makeni because of security threats.<\/p>\n
The detention of the alleged conspirators was confirmed Saturday by Sierra Leone’ military chief, Major-General Samuel Omar Williams.<\/p>\n
He told the bi-weekly Politico newspaper that the accused soldiers were arrested at the Tekko barracks in Makeni and then escorted to a holding centre in the capital Freetown.<\/p>\n
He however would not say the exact number or the ranks of those detained.<\/p>\n
The newspaper cited sources putting the number at between nine and twelve soldiers.<\/p>\n
The botched mutiny allegedly targeted the person of the President.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Friday, the online newspaper The New People, cited anonymous sources within State House who said the President had to cancel his scheduled trip to Freetown for security reasons.<\/p>\n
There has been no immediate explanation of what the grievances of the men are.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of that is under investigation now and I cannot give you any more details,\u201d Politico quoted army chief, Gen Omar Williams as saying.<\/p>\n
This development comes hot on the heels of a Presidential decree on Thursday invoking a constitutional provision that hands over security to armed military men alongside the police. The decree affects two cities: Bo in the south, and Kenema in the east.<\/p>\n
That decision, under the Military Aid to Civil Power (MAC-P) provision, was in response to alleged threats posed to the squabbling opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) convention in Bo this weekend.<\/p>\n
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